Misinformation on social media is putting women off the contraceptive pill who are then risking unwanted pregnancies, according to the NHS.
Videos posted online have been spreading false information that the contraceptive pill causes cancer and infertility, The Times reports.
NHS data shows the proportion of women using the pill as their main form of contraception has dropped from 47% in 2012-13 to 27% in 2022-23. Abortions in England and Wales are at the highest level on record, with 251,377 in 2022, up from 184,122 in 2012, The Times adds.
Dr Sue Mann, the NHS clinical director for women’s health, called claims posted online that hormonal contraception causes infertility “damaging”.
She said: “Online misinformation about the pill and other forms of hormonal contraception is a real cause for concern — we are seeing young women coming into our clinics who have come off the pill as they think it could make them infertile.
“Damaging claims on social media that hormonal contraception causes infertility are not backed by research — in fact, evidence shows that the same number of women will be pregnant after one to two years of trying regardless of whether they have used the pill or not — and yet we’re seeing a trend towards women going without contraception, which is limiting them from having control over their fertility and pregnancy decisions.
“I want to empower women by arming them with the latest evidence-based information – if you are concerned or have questions about contraception or fertility, please speak to a health professional, there are lots of options and it’s important to find the right one for you.”
Women are being encouraged by influencers to consider alternatives, including the use of menstrual cycle tracking apps, which encourage women to only have sex on days where they are not fertile.
Dr Janet Barter, president of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH), which represents 14,000 healthcare professionals in the UK, told The Times these methods are “a concern” as they could cause “over-confidence”.
She said: “These are a concern because if they are used as a means of contraception, they can cause over-confidence. We know that relying on the so-called fertility awareness will typically mean there is a one in four chance of actually conceiving.”
Videos posted on social media about the pill’s side effects have millions of views.
One example is from Dr Ethan Melillo, a “medication expert” with 417,000 TikTok followers, who says: “Side effects can include dementia, heart attacks, stroke, breast cancer. Also headache, nausea, weight gain.”
A TikTok spokesman told The Times it did not allow “inaccurate, misleading or false content” and had steps to remove videos containing medical misinformation. He added that there was a broad community of doctors on TikTok who shared trustworthy facts about contraception.
